Machine for forming bottle necks upon sheet metal tubs



8- 9, 1939. E. J. GREIF 2,170,946

MACHINE FOR FORMING BOTTLE NECKS UPON SHEET METAL TUBS Original Filed July 18, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet -1 J7ZZJE7ZZZO7" a d J Grey E. J. GREIF Aug. 29, 1939.

MACHINE FOR FORMING BOTTLE NECKS UPON SHEET METAL EUBS Original Filed July 18, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 nu mm mm Q nvenzr v"25:522/55/10:r ci Z2- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MACHINE non. FORMING BOTTLE HICKS UPON SHEET DIETAL TUBE Edward J. Greif, Chicago, Ill, allignor to-Borg- Warner Corporation, Ohloamnl a corporation of Illinois Application July 18. 1930, Serial No. 91,268 Renewed February 3, 1989 13 Claims. 11M!) This invention has to do with sheet rolling ap- Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken upon paratus, and relates particularly to a machine the line 2-2 of Fig. 2;

having a novel arrangement of rolls for feeding Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view illusand drawing sheet stock in but one direction trating the rollers of the machine as they appear into a space between shaper surfaces of comduring one period of operation; and

plemental rolls. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 at a succeed- A rolling machine embodying the present iningstage in the operation of the machine.

vention is especially adapted to the art of making Throughout the following description and in so-called bottle-neck tubs or containers which are the various figures of the drawings, the same refclosed at one end, and which are contracted at erence characters are used for designating simi- 10 their opposite end'about a lipped end opening. lar parts.

Because of the difiiculties heretofore encountered The invention will be described with particuin making the bottle-neck in sheet metal conlarity as it may be applied to a machine for formtainers by reducing the size of the opening thereing bottle-neck tubs of sheet metal. It will be in, some manufacturers prefer to use a separate understood, of course. that the machine herein piece of stock for forming that section having shown is illustrative only of a particular applicatherein the opening. Such piece is first made of tionof the invention, which is in no wise limited the desired shape and size, then the opening is thereto. formed at the end of the bottle-neck and lastly Attention is first directed to Figs. 1, 2 and 3,

the piece may be seam welded to another part or where parts constructed in accordance with the 20 parts forming the side walls and bottom of the invention will be seen supported upon a bench l0. container. This method of manufacture, how- A prime mover and control means for. the apever, is inherently disadvantageous because of .paratus may be housed by the bench l0. Disthe large amount of waste scrap cut away in the posed upon the top of bench l 0 is a vertical brackformation of the opening. et ll having a bearing I2 for a vertical spindle 25 An object of the present invention is the prol3. Said spindle l3 carries a horizontal plate i4, vision of an improved rolling device cooperable which has secured to the top thereof by means supplementally with pressing and drawing apof .screws ii a plurality of radially arranged lugs paratus in such a manner as to diminish the cost I. Pivotally secured at I! to each of the lugs of manufacturing sheet material containers hav- I6 is a generally sectorial piece I8. Lateral 30 ing a bottle-neck opening. movement of the sectorial pieces i8 is prevented Another object of the present invention is the both by their pivotal connections at I! and by provision of a rolling device as the above, and studs I! which project into grooves 20 in the which lends itself to a process of making from a upper face of the plate l4 when the pieces I8 single sheet of material, without appreciable are in their lower positions illustrated in Fig. 2. as waste, a bottle-neck container. Above the pivotal sectorial members i8 is a A further object of the present invention is clamping plate 2| which has a central opening 22 the provision of an improved rolling device for receiving the upper end of the spindle l3, adapted to constrict and curl the marginal side whereby said plate 2| may be properly centered.

wall edge about an end opening in a cylindrical A peripheral flange 23, curved slightly down- 40 container, wardly, is carried upon the clamping plate 2|.

A still further object of the present invention When a partially completed container or tub 24 is the provision of an improved mechanism for is held in the apparatus as shown in Fig. 2, and rolling and shaping sheet material while drawing pressure is applied downwardly upon a spindle 43 in one direction laterally of the rolls a section of 25, the outer edge of the bottom of the container 45 the material to be shaped. 24 will be tightly compressed between the curved With the above and other desirable objects in flange 23 and the pivoted members l8. Ball view, the invention is hereinafter described in bearing units 26 and 2! permit the plates I4 and conjunction with the accompanying three sheets 2! and the tub 24 carried thereby to rotate .rela- 2,0 of drawings hereby made a part of the specificatively to the spindle 25 and the bracket l2 with tion, and wherein: but little friction. Fig. 1 is a plan view of a rolling machine em- At the time the tub 24 is placed upon the mabodying the present invention; chine, the inwardly disposed bottle-neck section Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the 21 has not been formed and said container slides line 2-2 of Fig. 1; easily over the sectorial pieces l8. When the 55 tub 24 is lifted from the device, the bottle-neck section 21- will tilt the sectorial pieces 8 upwardly as it is withdrawn. Prior to the with-- drawal of the tub 24 from the device, the clamping plate 2| is lifted by means of the stem 25 and shifted to one side out of vertical alignment with the tub. The spindle 25 is carried upon a horizontally pivotal arm (not shown).

Immediately to the left of bracket ll, Fig. 2, is a vertical shaft 28 suitably journalled in a bearing member 29 anchored in the top of the bench Ill. The shaft 28 may be rotated by means of a gear 38, which may be entrained with prime mover apparatus within the bench l8. Suitably spaced from the top of the bench III by means of a section 3| of the bearing member 28 and by a flange 32 upon the shaft 28 is a roll "having therein a circumferential grooved shaper surface 34 and a guide surface 35. The roll 38 is keyed or otherwise suitably secured to the shaft 28 to rotate therewith. Above the roll 33 is a cylindrical roll 36 connected to the shaft 28 for common rotation. superposed upon the roll 36 is a collar 31 and a cap 38, the latter having thereon a bearing plate 39 secured in place by means of screws 48, shown in Fig. l. The bearing plate 39 is adapted to bear against the lower face of the rotatable plate l4, and thus prevent downward deflection of said plate during operation of the device as will be fully explained later.

Extending upwardly through an opening 4| in the top of the bench III is a shaft 42. Said shaft 42 is supported upon a flange 43 thereof rotatively journaled in a seat 44 in the frame of a reciprocal carriage indicated generally at 45. In Figs. 2 and 3, the carriage 45 will be seen to have L-shaped lugs 46, which engage opposite sides of the opening 4| in a manner holding the carriage 45 upon the top of the bench l0 and guiding the carriage in its reciprocal movement.

The shaft 42 has thereon four collars designated respectively 41, 48, 49 and 58. An oversize annular guide roll 5| is supported upon the carriage 45 and surrounds the collar 41. In Figs. 2, 4 and 5 it will be noted that the guide roll 5| has a curved flange-like section upon its upper side, the section being designated 52, and the curve thereon conforming to the curve upon the lower edge of the shaper groove 34 in the roll 33. Resting upon the collar 41 is the collar 48 and a shaper roll 53 having a rounded flange-like section 54 which is adapted to fit into the shaper groove 34 as illustrated in Fig. 2. The collar 48 serves as a bushing upon which the roll 53 may rotate. A third roll 55 of cylindrical profile is supported by the roll 53. Said roll 55 is an annulus of which the inside diameter is considerably greater than the outside diameter of the collar 49 in registry therewith. Likewise, the inside diameter of the .roll 5| is greater than the outside diameter of the collar 41. Collar 50 prevents upward movement of the collars and rolls therebeneath upon the shaft 42.

A pair of grooved track members 5| and 52 may be seen in Fig. 3. Upon the track members 5| and 52 are spacer members 53"- and 54, said spacing members having thereon a second pair of track members 55 and 56'. Plates 51 and 58 .are disposed reciprocally within the grooved tracks of the track members 5|, 52, 55, and 56.

The reciprocal plates 51 and 58 are respectively in the horizontal plane of the guide roll 5| and the retaining or holder roll 55. In Fig. 1, the plate 58 will be seen to carry a pair of rollers 58 and 68, which engage the outer-periphery of the retaining roll 85. Also, in Fig. 1 and in Fig. 2 the lower plate 51 will be seen tocarry similar rollers 6| and 62 which bear against the outer periphery of the guide roll 5|. Plate 58 is constantly urged to the right, Fig. 2; by means of a spring 83 which presses against the back part of a plunger 64, which is connected to the plate 58 and against the cap 65 of a spring casing 86. The advancement of the plunger 64 andthe plate 58 by the spring 63 may be limited by an adjustable nut 61 which is adapted to abut against the cap 65. The spring casing 66 is fixed upon the carriage 45, whereas the plunger 64 and the plate 58 are movable relatively thereto under the influence of the spring 63.

Also reciprocal in the carriage 45 is a plunger 68, Fig. 2, which is secured to the reciprocal plate 51. The left end of the plunger 68, Fig. 2, carries a piston 69 encased in a cylinder 18, which is secured to the carriage 45. when pressure fluid is introduced into the left end of the cylinder 18, Fig. 2, by means (not shown), the piston 88, the plunger 68 and the plate 51 will be urged to the right. During operation of the device, a pressure fluid is maintained in the left end of the cylinder 10 by said means (not shown) whereby the piston 69 is constantly urged to the right. Movement of the piston to the right is limited by the shoulder 12 within the cylinder walls.

Attention is now directed to Fig. 1, and particularly to upright pivot posts 13 and 14. Said posts carry, respectively, bell crank levers 15 and 16. Legs 11 and 18 of the bell crank levers carry rollers 19 and 88, whereas legs 8| and 82 carry cam rollers 83 and 84. In Fig. 3, where the rollers 19 and 80 are shown partly in dotted outline, it will be seen that the arms 11 and 18 carry said rollers at such an elevation that said rollers lie in substantially the same horizontal plane as the retainer or holder roll 55. Bell crank legs 8| and 82, however, are in a plane lower than the legs 11 and 18 and the rollers 83 and 84 depending from their lower sides are disposed in cam slots formed in cam blocks 81 and 88 secured to and movable with the carriage 45. Upon the carriage being moved to the right, Figs. 1 and 2, the rollers 83 and 84 acting in the cam grooves 85 and 86 of' the cam blocks will cause the bell crank levers 15 and 16 to be rotated upon posts 13 and 14 in such a direction as to advance the rollers 13 and 80 into contact with the tub 24 carried upon the rotatable support therefor.

The operation of the device will now be described.

The apparatus here shown is adapted to perform an additional operation upon a partially prepared tub or container. When disposed upon the present apparatus, the tub 24 has cylindrical side walls and a bottom wall with a central aperture for receiving the upper end of the spindle i3. The clamping plate 2| is lifted and carried to one side while the tub 24 is inverted and telescoped over the pivoted members I8. This having been done, the clamping plate 2| is moved into alignment with the container holder apparatus and moved downwardly into the position shown in Fig. 2 whereby the bottom portion of the container 24 is firmly clasped in the device for rotation upon the bearings 26 and 21.

At this time, the carriage 45 will be retracted to the left, Figs. 1 and 2. While the can'iage 45 is in its leftmost or retracted position, the spring pressed plate 58 and the fluid pressed plate 51 will be urged toward the right, and the rollers thereon will press the rolls 55 and 5| to the right with respect to the carriage 43 until the inner peripheries of said rolls are brought to bear against the collars 43 and 41, respectively. In other words. as the device is shown in Pig. i, the rolls 5' and ii are pressed by the rollers of the plates II and I1 against the material of the container 24 and the roll 35. Now, if the carriage 45 were to be moved to the left, the roll 53 would be immediately withdrawn from the roll 33, whereas the rolls II and I would remain in the position shown until the collars 43 and 41 are carried far enough to the left to engage the'inner peripheries of said rolls '5 and II for retracting said rolls to the left with the carriage.

When the tub 24 is first placed in the machine, the cylindrical side walls will be straight throughout as illustrated in Fig. 4. Means (not shown) is provided for rotating the gear 33 and the shaft 23 carrying the mils 33 and 33. Means I (not shown) is also provided for rotating the shaft 42, but in the opposite direction as the shaft 23. Shaft 42, is, of course, retractable with the carriage 45. Means (not shown) is provided for reciprocating the carriage 45 whereby to advance the same toward the rollers 33 and 33 and to retract the same from said rollers. Incident to the carriage 45 being advanced the retaining roll 55 will first be permitted to come in contact with the retaining surface 0 the roll 36 opposite thereto, as shown in Fig. 4. That is, when the collar 43 is advanced from the back side of the interior of the' roll 55 the spring 63 becomes effective to press the roll 55 against the side wall of the container 24. when the carriage 45 is advanced still further, the shaper roll 53 will be projected slightly into the shaper section 34 of the roll 33, whereby the side wall of the container or tub is deflected in some such manner as shown in dotted outline in Fig. 4. By this time, the carriage will have been moved far enough to have advanced the collar 41 from contact with the interior of the roll 5|, so that said roll may be urged by the pressure fluid in cylinder ill into the position shown in dotted outline in Fig. 4. Meanwhile the rolls 3! and 36, 53 and 33, and 5|, as well as the tub 24 have been rotating so that the dotted outline indentation in Fig. 4 represents a cross-section of a circumferential groove then formed in the tub. Because of the grip of the container sidewall between the retaining roll 55 and the retaining roll 36, that part of the tub wall gripped therebetween resists downward movement into the shaper sections of the rolls 53 and 33. The rolls 55 and 36 also keep the side wall of the tub smooth and regular by preventing buckling. Downward movement of the tub wall is precluded in part by the bearing plate 33, which is adapted to brush against the lower face of the turn table I4. Because of the bearing plate 33, any tension in that section of the tub wall in registry with the rolls of the device cannot deflect the turn table from the horizontal and as a consequence the tub side wall is fed accurately into the rolls.

The roll 5| is a guide roll and directs that portion of the tub side wall therebetween and the guide section 35 of the roll 33 into the shaper section 34 of said roil33. It follows that the lower end of the tub side wall, Fig. 4, will be Y drawn upwardly as :said wall is pressed into the circumferential groove in the roll 33. Such drawing upwardly of the lower end of the inverted container wall is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. In Fig. 2, the rolls upon the carriage 45 are shown in their completely advanced position and the edge of the container wall is illustrated in its most upwardly advanced position.

If it were not for the guide roll 5i and the cooperative opposed guides surface 33 upon the roll 33, the material about the edge of the tub opening would tend to pucker as it is drawn into the groove 34. However, when the roll II is used, 'the material is maintained perfectly smooth.

As a further means of preventing the side walls of the tub 24 buckling or distorting while being rolled, the-rollers I3 and 33 are brought to bear against the container side walls in the manner hereinabove described. Eliminationof wrinkles or irregularities'in the inwardly deformed bottle-neck part 21 of the tub 24 is further insured by the fact that the rollers acting thereon are relatively rotatable. Thus, the rollers are untrammeled in their direct action upon the parts or sections of the container wall compressed therebetween. a

The machine is so adjusted with respect to the height of the tub side walls that during the rolling operation, the edge of the walls about the opening will be drawn upwardly and curled into the shape shown in Fig. 2. After completion of the rolling process, the carriage 45 together with the rolls thereon are retracted to the left, Fig. 2, until the rolls are carried out of contact with the side wall of the tub. The clamping plate 2i is then lifted and moved to one side, and thereafter the tub 24 is tilted slightly to carry its bottle-neck section 21' laterally from the circumferential groove "in the roll 33 and lifted upwardly. When the section 21 comes in contact with the sector-like plates I3. said plates will be pivoted upwardly, and thus effectively contract so that said section may pass thereover. The tub 24 is subsequently taken to additional apparatus for performing a further operation to form a closed bead from the curled section about the bottle-neck opening.

It will be noted that substantially no material is wasted in the making of a tub or container by the process described in connection with the operation of the present de'vice.- The container is made from a single sheet of material, and the only waste involved will be such scrap as may be necessary to trim from about the open end to make the side walls of standard length prior to insertion in the present machine. The stamping and drawing apparatus for forming the cylindrical container for inserting in the present machine may be operated with such precision that but only a negligible amount will need to be trimmed from the open end of the cylindrical walls.

I claim:

1. Rolling mechanism comprising, roll means having thereon a circumferential shaper section and a holder section, a shaper roll, a holder roll, said roll means and said rolls being relatively movable, means yieldingly urging said holder roll and holder section into close cooperative proximity, releasable restraining means for said urging means, means for relatively moving said shaper roll and shaper section until said roll and section are in close cooperative proximity, and means for releasing said restraining means prior to said shaper roll and shaper section reaching such proximity.

2. In an apparatus for shaping material, a shaft, a roll mounted on said shaft, said roll having a cylindrical portion and a contoured portion,

asecond shaft, a shaper roll mounted on said second shaft and adapted to cooperate with the contoured portion of said first mentioned roll, means for reciprocating one of said shafts relative to the other to advance the shaper roll into the contoured portion, means for supporting the material to be shaped between said rolls, and

means for holding the material against lateral motion on the rolls, said last mentioned means being reciprocable relative to the shaper roll and adapted to hold the material against the cylindrical portion while said material is shaped by the shaper roll.

3. In an apparatus for shaping material, a shaft, a contoured roll mounted on said shaft, a second shaft, a shaper roll mounted on said second shaft and adapted to cooperate with the contoured roll, means for supporting the material between said rolls with the edge of the material extending beyond said contoured roll, means for reciprocating one of said shafts relative to the other, means for holding the material against lateral motion on the roll, and means for guiding the edge of the material into the contoured portion of said rolls, said holding and guiding means being reciprocable relative to the shaper roll and adapted to contact the material before it is shaped by said shaper roll.

4. In an apparatus for shaping material, a shaft, a roll mounted on said shaft, said roll having a cylindrical portion and a, contoured portion, a second shaft reciprocable with respect to said first-mentioned shaft, a shaper roll mounted on said second shaft and adapted to cooperate with the contoured portion of said firstmentioned roll to shape the material, means for supporting the material between said rolls, a carriage mounted on said shaft and reciprocable therewith, means on said carriage for holding the material against lateral motion on the cylindrical portion of said first-mentioned roll, and a lost motion connection between said holding means and shaft, whereby movement of said shaft to ward the contoured roll causes engagement of the holding means with the material prior to and during the forming of the material.

-5. In an apparatus for shaping material, a shaft, a contoured roll mounted on said shaft, a second shaft reciprocable with respect to said first-mentioned shaft, a shaper roll mounted on said second shaft and adapted to cooperate with said first-mentioned roll to shape the material, means for supporting the material between the rolls with the edge of the material extending beyond said contoured roll, a carriage mounted on said shaft and reciprocable therewith, means on saidcarriage for guiding the edge of the material into the contoured roll, and a lost motion connection between the guiding means and shaft, whereby motion of said shaft towards the contoured roll causes engagement of the guiding means prior to and during the forming of the material.

6. In an apparatus for shaping material, a shaft, a roll mounted on said shaft, said roll having a cylindrical portion and a contoured portion, a second shaft, a shaper roll mounted on said second shaft and adapted to cooperate with the contoured portion to shape the material. means for supporting the material between said roll with the edge of the material extending beyond said contoured roll, means for reciprocating the second shaft with respect to said first-mentioned shaft, a carriage mounted on said second shaft and reciprocable therewith, holding and guiding means on the carriage for holding a predetermined portion of the material against lateral motion on the roll and for guiding the edge of the material into the contoured portion of the roll, and lost motion connections between the holding and guiding means and the shaft, whereby contact between said holding and guiding means and the material is established before the shaper roll contacts the material.

7. In an apparatus for shaping material, a shaft. a plurality of rolls mounted on said shafts, one of said rolls being a shaper roll, a second shaft, a complemental shaper roll mounted on said second shaft, said second shaft being shiftable with respect to said first-mentioned shaft to cause said shaper rolls to cooperate to shape the material, holder and guide rolls loosely mounted on said second shaft to permit rotation of said holder and guide rolls on centers located eccentrically of the axis of said second shaft,'a carriage mounted on said shafts and shiftable therewith, means on said carriage continuously urging said holder and guide rolls toward said first-mentioned shaft, and means on said second shaft for restraining said urging means, whereby said holder and guide rolls hold the material prior to and during the shaping operation and guide the material into the shaper roll during the shaping operation.

8. An apparatus for shaping material as described in claim 7, said holder roll urging means comprising a plate, rollers on the plate adapted to contact said holder roll, and a compression spring disposed between the carriage and plate.

9. An apparatus for shaping material as described in claim 7, said guide roll urging means comprising a plate, rollers on the plate adapted to contact said guide roll, and a hydraulicallyoperated piston disposed between the plate and carriage.

10. An apparatus for shaping material comprising first and second shafts, a contoured roll mounted on said first shaft, a cylindrical roll also mounted on said first shaft and adjacent said contoured roll, a carriage, a bearing in said carriage, said second shaft being journalled in said bearing, a collar, a shaper roll adjacent said collar, a second collar adjacent said shaper roll, a roll adjacent said second collar, an annular guide roll surrounding said first collar, an annular holder roll surrounding said second collar, the inner diameter of said guide and holder rolls being greater than the outer diameters of the collars associated therewith, said guide and holder rolls being constrained to move in a plane normal to the axis of the second shaft, a plate slidably mounted on the carriage, rollers on said plate cooperating with the outer surface of the guide roll, hydraulic means disposed between the carriage and plate for urging said guide roll against the contoured roll, a second plate slidably mounted on the carriage, rollers on said second plate cooperating with the outer surface of the holder roll, a compression spring disposed between the carriage and second plate for urging said holder roll against the cylindrical roll, means for reciprocating said second shaft with respect to said first shaft, and means for supporting the material between said first and sec ond shafts, whereby the material is held against deformation between the holder and cylindrical roll and guided into the shaper roll while said material is being shaped, and said holder, shaper and guide rolls are separated from the contoured and cylindrical roll after the shaping operation to permit the removal of the material from between the rolls.

11. In an apparatus for shaping material, op-

posed apertured shaper rolls, opposed aperturedholder rolls, a pair of shafts, each shaft being threaded through a shaper roll and a holder roll, the aperture in one holder roll being larger than the diameter of the shaft threaded therethrough, and means for urging said one holder roll against the other holder roll, said means being adapted to cause the point of tangency between said holder rolls to lie on a straight line connecting the axes roll cooperating therewith.

13. In an apparatus for shaping material, op-

posed apertured shaper rolls, opposed apertured holder rolls, and opposed apertured guide rolls, a pair of shafts, one of said shafts being shiftable with respect to the other and each shaft being threaded through a holder roll, a shaper roll and a guide roll, the apertures in the holder roll and guide roll of the shaftable shaft being larger than the diameter of said shiftable shaft, a pair of forked plates, rollers at the ends of the tines of the forked plates, the rollers on each plate being equally spaced from the axis of the shiftable shaft, spring means urging the rollers of one of said plates against the holder roll, and fluid means urging the rollers of the other of said plates against the guide roll, whereby movement of the shiftable shaft toward the other shaft causes pressure to be exerted between the holder and guide rolls before pressure is exerted between the shaper rolls, the points of application of pressure lying on straight lines connecting the axes of the shafts.

EDWARD J. GREIF. 

